


Little Bit in Love

by autopsyofwebs



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-30
Updated: 2012-12-30
Packaged: 2017-11-22 22:18:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/614968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/autopsyofwebs/pseuds/autopsyofwebs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zayn falls a little bit in love with everyone in the band. It's a bit difficult not to seeing as he's never really had anyone like them before. He's only ever had Danny and Ant up till the X-Factor; they seeped into his bones over time until he didn't know how to live without them while the boys pushed and pulled at his ribs and demanded to be let into his heart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Little Bit in Love

**Author's Note:**

> My first work in this fandom, sorry it's a bit short. But hope you enjoy it anyways!

Zayn falls a little bit in love with everyone in the band. It's a bit difficult not to seeing as he's never really had anyone like them before. He's only ever had Danny and Ant up till the X-Factor; they seeped into his bones over time until he didn't know how to live without them while the boys pushed and pulled at his ribs and demanded to be let into his heart.

He learns to love Louis first: the unabashed grin, the confidence that he exudes, and the unflinching refusal to be anything but himself. He remembers the shy smile and bursts of laughter that only came around Danny and Ant, and compares them to Louis, who always seems to have a laugh on the tip of his tongue and doesn't seem to even know the definition of uncomfortable and he can't not feel a little envious at first. But he sees that Louis tries the hardest as well, maybe deserves it the most, trying to keep everyone together, to be liked, to endure rather than be crushed by the sheer pressure of expectation and insecurity. He sees his shoulders tense sometimes when he laughs too hard and wants to hug the tension away, but he's not brave enough yet.

He was the first to look at Zayn and see the mischievous bright boy rather than the awkward one trying so hard to fit in with everyone else that he never felt comfortable in his own skin. It was in the way he had smiled and bumped his shoulder into Zayn's when he first entered the bungalow, three days late and already seeing the mess of teenage boys and friendship strewn across the ground and feeling terribly out of place. Louis had launched into some retelling of Niall eating the last piece of pizza and Liam hitting him across the face with a pillow in retribution like he already belonged. He had draped a heavy arm around his shoulders but Zayn had only felt the lightness of relief. And he can't help but love him after that.

It was a bit harder with Harry. In the earlier days, Harry's instant bond with Louis, his cheekiness with Liam, and his ease with Niall made it seem like there was no space for Zayn. And it wasn't like he resented him for it, but he felt a little uncomfortable at times with Harry, his obvious charm and humor making him a favorite while Zayn was just trying to not drown in awkwardness and discomfort. 

He doesn't recall a defining moment for Harry, just a slow build of familiarty that manifests in a collection of secret smiles, inside jokes, and bursts of laughter that scatter in the air like sunlight across the memories of his mind. Smiles and hugs are easiest with Harry because it feels natural and Harry's become his rock. Sometimes that seems contradictory when it seems like Harry's the one most suited to this lifestyle, to freedom and bright lights despite his age. He's got a maturity that hangs over him, but also this combination of eloquence and a charm of vulnerability that Liam doesn't even have. But he also possesses this steadiness in the way he talks and acts, hidden underneath the shake of his curls and the way his hands fidget as they talk. He tries so hard and gets knocked down for it, but always ends up on his feet. While the venues might change and the cities become a blur, he knows Harry will not and he smiles.

Niall was a bit effortless, as he is with everything. He remembers a disarming grin, scrunched up blue eyes, and bright bright blond to match a bright brogue and he's a bit blind-sided. Niall is a lot like Louis in his confidence and a lot like Harry in his charm, but shines brightly in an understated way that exudes comfort and familiarity. Its probably why all the boys tend to gravitate towards him and protect him, because he reminds them of a little piece of family. Only Niall can be so assured that he is exactly where he belongs wherever he goes. 

He doesn't seem to mind as much as the other boys when he's moody and that's maybe because it's hard to not want to smile and laugh around him. Or maybe it's because he understands the need for air through the ocean of his eyes. It's new but sometimes they go out to share a smoke and in the haze he feels a little less lonely because even though Niall is genuine in his carefreeness and exuberance, he sees a similar weariness in his eyes. They share this quiet pocket of space on some hotel balcony and the smoke stretches thin across them but he feels closer than ever.

Liam was the easiest and hardest to love. He can't really define any of his relationships with the boys, but if he had to put a name to this, it'd be easiest to describe it as something akin to falling in love. Louis was a bit like the sun, and one could not help but be pulled in, but Liam was gravity, constant and reassuring and keeping them from being sucked into the whirlwind of their lives.                                                                                   

Liam was the most like him, and they found each other in the rising waters of their fame and clutched to each other during late nights listening to Usher and clumsy dance lessons. He had never met anyone so earnest and determined; before Liam, his priorities had only really included making sure his hair looked good and catching a few moments between classes to sing or sketch a bit. Zayn never really learned how to dream big, but he's starting to think that these four boys can teach him. And later on they share a similar need to break out of the molds they've helped create: Daddy Direction and the Bradford Bad Boy. The world doesn't really see Liam but he's selfishly glad because that just means more for him and he wants Liam to be happy, but he'd rather have it be him and the rest of the boys doing it. He falls a little in love with him in the time between the spaces of his heartbeat, all to the background of the warmth of Niall's laugh and Louis' cheeky response to some interview question. Because he knows that while Liam is crazier with Louis, cheekier with Harry, and goofier with Niall, they share a similar spirit and space in each others' hearts, both boys who just needed someone to believe in them and finding that in four other brothers. 

But he thinks that he loves them all because they have become his home. The curve of Niall's arm as he pulls him down into a hug, the timbre of Harry's laugh over the crowd of heads, the crinkle in Liam's eyes as he shares a joke, the length of Louis' body as he drapes himself over the boys. They are all things that have become associated with _homelovecomfort_ , along with the ache of homesickness and with the suffocating warmth of too many people piled on top of one another. And this, he thinks, is all he needs.


End file.
